Bears to determine Williams', Melton's playing time based on conditioning

September 06, 2013|By Rich Campbell, Tribune reporter

The amount of snaps Bears middle linebacker D.J. Williams plays Sunday in the opener against the Bengals at Soldier Field will be determined as the game progresses, coach Marc Trestman said.

Williams on Friday completed his first full week of practice since coming back from the right calf injury he suffered July 31.

“He’s in good condition; I don’t know that he’s in great condition,” Trestman said. “How much he’ll play will be relative to real game-like conditions where it’s truly physical out there and we’re running from sideline to sideline.”

Williams indicated his conditioning is an ongoing process.

“It went pretty well,” he said of the week’s practice. “I just have to get used to running around with pads on.”

Defensive tackle Henry Melton also is expected to play, Trestman said. He returned this week from a concussion he suffered Aug. 9.

Conditioning will help determine Melton’s playing time in the defensive line rotation. Melton said he’s fit enough to play a full game.

“I’ve been out there working, running,” he said. “They’ve been on me really hard for my conditioning just to make sure I can stay healthy, so you don’t hurt yourself when you’re just too tired to play.”

“We’re still working it,” defensive line coach Mike Phair said after Friday’s practice.

There will be a walk-through on Saturday.

So how will the coaching staff make the decision in the hours leading up to kickoff?

“You see every day we are rolling those guys,” Phair said. “The thing is, they have done a hell of a job just staying ready, ‘Next guy up.’ That kind of mentality. We’ve been rolling with them the same way and we haven’t said yet.”

Phair has maintained all offseason he is not overly concerned with who gets the nod as the starter. In the rotation with Julius Peppers, the two others will get considerable playing time. Wootton started the final seven games last season and was on the field for 54.5 percent of the time. McClellin played 34.7 percent of the time. Both should see those figures rise.

Extra points: The Bears are the only NFL team with no players on their injury report for Week 1. … Trestman named team captains Friday. Quarterback Jay Cutler and center Roberto Garza will serve the offense with linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive end Peppers leading the defense. Long snapper Pat Mannelly was chosen as the captain of special teams for the sixth consecutive season. Cutler will be a captain for the fifth season since arriving to the Bears and this will be the third season for Garza. Briggs and Peppers have served as captains previously.